Focusing on Near Misses

A team of employees at a John Deere facility discusses ways to improve safety.

Attention throughout the company to the basics of working safely helped make fiscal year 2014 one of the best safety years ever at John Deere.

To further improve global safety performance rates, John Deere tracks near misses, or incidents that almost cause injuries. An online tracking system of near-miss information is in place at most U.S. units and is being deployed globally.

All employees are encouraged to report near misses by providing brief descriptions of incidents, sharing photos, and suggesting corrective actions. Unit safety managers then work with engineers, supervisors, and others to correct the problems.

Each incident is assigned to a category so over time a unit can identify recurring problems like mechanical or equipment failures or issues related to specific parts or tools. The program also provides a way to report near misses that could have led to environmental problems, such as oil spills or property damage caused by forklifts or other equipment.

The information can be shared among locations, so Deere factories and departments can learn from each other's near misses and corrective actions.

In fiscal year 2014, the company had a 18% increase in reported near misses, which were followed by corrective actions to help prevent the near misses from happening again.

By focusing on near misses, facilities can correct hazards and change unsafe behaviors before they result in injuries or damage.

Extending Safety Beyond the Workplace

John Deere units worldwide are making off-the-job safety awareness a priority. That's because nine of 10 fatalities and more than two-thirds of disabling injuries to workers each year occur off the job, according to the U.S. National Safety Council.

Building a Strong Safety Culture

When John Deere acquires a business, nothing is more important than working with new employees to establish a strong safety culture. The goal is a safety-focused culture where employees understand and see the value of safety procedures, and look out for each other.